Sampling and metering device



June 1943- T. A. HUBER 2,322,018

SAMPLING AND METERING DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1941 w 5 llllllll JMo'LL a. MM, INVENTOR.

A T TORNE Y Patented June is, 1943 2,322,018 SAMPLING AND METERING DEVICE Theodore A. Huber,,Houston, Tex., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corpov ration of Delaware Application January 16, 1941, Serial No. 374,665

6 Claims. (01. 73-202) The present invention is directed to a means for sampling a stream of fluid and for indicating the volume carried by said stream.

An object of the present invention is to devise a means operated by a flowing stream forobtaining a representative sample from said stream.

A further object is to devise a means for removing from a stream of fluid a portion of said fluid proportional to the volume of fluid carried by said stream.

Other objects and advantages of invention may be seen from a reading of the specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which- V Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in cross section, of a modification of the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in cross section, of another modification of the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, a conduit II carrying a stream of fluid has arranged therein a screen l2 for catching the sediment carried by said fluid. After fluid passes through screen I2, it is forced to flow through section I3 where the fluid passes through a series of parallel slanting tubes in order to break any stratification which may have occurred in the fluid stream. From section I3 the fluid flows into section I l which is provided with vanes I5 directing fluid to the central opening I6. Arranged downstream from section It is a tubing I! having an open end I8 adjacent to and facing opening I6. Tubing IT is preferably of such size that it has an area at end I8 corresponding to the opening I6. Tubing I1 is arranged with its other end I9 discharging into conduit II. An

orifice plate 20 provided with an opening 2I is arranged in conduit II upstream from end I9. Tubing I I is provided with a vaned section 22 similar to section It and projecting within tubing I1 is smaller tubing 23 having an open end 24 a downstream from and facing this section.

Downstream from tubing 23 within tubing I1 is arranged orifice plate 25 provided with orifice 26. Tubing 23 is arranged to discharge into conduit II at a point downstream from the point of discharge of tubing I'l. .Arranged within conduit II between the points of discharge of tubings I1 and 23 into conduit I I is orifice plate28 provided with a suitable orifice 29. Tubing 23 is provided with a vaned section 33 corresponding to and proportionally smaller than vaned sections I5 and 22 which have been before mentioned. Downstream from vaned section 3|]. is'.tubing 3I having an open end 32 adjacent to and facing section 30. Tubing 3| discharges into sample the present receiving container 33 which is, provided with suitable graduations 34.

The above described modification is particularly suitable for measuring mixtures of liquids, such as oil and water in which it is necessary to prevent stratification in withdrawing representative samples. On some occasions, it will be desirable to obtain representative liquid samples of a flowing stream comprising gasesv in addition to a plurality of fluids. Under such. conditions it may be desirable to use the modification illustrated in Fig. 2..

The modification illustrated in Fig. 2 is provided with the vaned sections, orifice plates and conduits of decreasing size, as is shown in Fig. 1. The same munerals have accordingly been used to identify these portions of the figure as were. used in Fig. 1. As an additional feature, a conduit or separator has its inlet end 35 connected to the upper portion of conduit II at a point upstream from screen I2 and its outlet end 35 connecting to conduit II at a point downstream from orifice plate 28. The separator comprises a suitable riser 31 extending vertically from inlet' end 35 with its upper end in fluid communication with outlet 36 by means of tubing 38. It will be evident that this apparatus is-arranged so that a head of liquid will accumulate in riser 31 and allow gas to be removed from the fluid stream at this point and to return to the fluid stream at a point beyond the sample removing means, while a constant pressure is maintained on the liquid in the flow line.

From the above description of the device of the present invention it will be seen that liquid flowing through conduit I I first flows through section I3 to change it from its stratified condition and then is passed through vaned section It where its velocity increases. A certain proportion of the fluid stream enters tube I! where it again passes through a vaned section and is further divided so that a portion passes into tubing 23 which, in turn, divides the fluid so that a portion passes by tube 3I into container 33. The graduations 34 of the container may be selected so that from the amount of fluid collected in the container in a given period of time the total amount of fluid flowing through conduit II will be indicated.

If it is desired to control the flow of fluid through the device, a suitable valve 39 may be arranged in conduit II upstream from screen I2, The valve 39 may be used to control the fluid stream flowing through the sampling device so that there is free fluid flow through tubing 3| andanystratiflcation in the tubing is prevented. Under some circumstances this valve may be dispensed with and the flow of fluid in tubing 3| regulated by keeping a back pressure upon container 33, but this is generally undesir- 'the apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for sampling a stream of fluid comprising a conduit having arranged therein longitudinally separated constrictions, a second conduit of smaller area than the first conduit arranged with an open end extending into said first conduit downstream from and facing one constriction and discharging into said first conduit on the downstream side of a constriction downstream from said first mentioned constriction, a plurality of constrictions in said second conduit, a third conduit arranged with an end extending'into said second conduit downstream from and facing the upstream-most constriction therein and its other end discharging into said first named conduit, the point of discharge of said second conduit and of said third conduit being longitudinally separated with a constriction arranged in the first conduit between them, a constriction in said third conduit and means for removing fluid from said third conduit downstream from said constriction.

2. A combined fiuid sampling and metering device comprising, in combination, a conduit, means restricting the size of the stream arranged in said conduit, a first and second orifice plate arranged downstream from said restricting means, a second conduit with an area corresponding to the opening in said restricting means arranged with an open end downstream from and adjacent to the stream of fluid passing through said restricting means and its other end discharging into said conduit at a point between said orifice plates, a'means restricting the size of the stream arranged in said second conduit, an orifice plate arranged in said second conduit downstream from said restricting means, a third conduit having an open end arranged in said second conduit downstream from and facing said restricting means and discharging into said first conduit downstream from said second orifice plate, means restricting the size of stream in said third conduit, and a tubing with an open end in said third conduit downstream from and facing the restricting means and a calibrated container arranged to receive the discharge of said tubing.

3. A sampling and metering device comprising, in combination, a conduit, agitating means arranged in said conduit, a means arranged downstream from and adjacent to said agitating means for causing the stream to converge and having an outlet arranged in the center of the conduit, 2. second conduit 01 smaller size than said first conduit arranged downstream from said converging means having its open end adjacent to and facing the discharge from said converging means, a first and second orifice plate arranged in said first conduit downstream from said converging means, the other end of said second conduit discharging into said first conduit at a point between said orifice plates, a means for causing the stream to converge in said second conduit and an orifice plate arranged downstream from said converging means, a third conduit of smaller size than said second conduit arranged with an open end downstream from and facing said converging means in said second conduit, and to discharge into' said first conduit at a point below said second orifice, a converging means arranged in said third conduit, a tube having an open end downstream from and facing said converging means in said third conduit and a calibrated sampling chamber arranged to-reccive the discharge from said tube.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 provided with a conduit having an inlet upstream from the converging means in said first conduit, and discharging into said first conduit downstream from said second orifice plate, said inlet being arranged in the upper portion of said conduit and the conduit extending upwardly adjacent said inlet.

5. A device for sampling a stream of fiuid comprising a conduit having arranged therein longitudinally separated constrictions, a second conduit of smaller (area than the first conduit arranged with an-open end extending into said first conduit downstream from'and facin one constriction and discharging into said first conduit on the downstream side of a constriction downstream from said first mentioned constriction, a plurality of constrictions in said second conduit, means arranged to withdraw fluid from said second conduit, including a third conduit with an end extending into said second conduit downstream from and facing the uppermost constriction therein and fluidly connected to a vessel.

6. A combined fluid sampling and metering device comprising, in combination, a conduit, means restricting the size of the stream arranged in said conduit, an orifice plate arranged downstream from said restricting means, a second conduit with an area corresponding to the opening in said restricting means arranged with an open end downstream from and adjacent to the stream of fluid passing through said restricting means and its other end discharging into said conduit at a point downstream from said orifice plate, a means restricting the size of the stream arranged in said second conduit, an orifice plate arranged in said second conduit downstream from said restricting means, and means for withdrawing a portion of the fluid from said second conduit, includinga third conduit with an open end in said secondconduit downstream from and facing said restricting means, arranged in fluid communication witha calibrated container.

THEODORE A. HUBER. 

